Misery
by Cindre
Summary: Zero wakes up and has no idea where he is, and a strange boy helps him to remember. Slash.


Series: Megami Kouhosei  
Title: Misery, Chapters 1-5  
Written: 16 January 2003  
Rating: R  
Pairing: Hiead/Zero  
Words: 7,029  
Warnings: Unfinished, AU, Violence, Mystery, Lemon.  
Disclaimer: They're not mine.  
Summary: Zero wakes up and has no idea where he is, and a strange boy helps him to remember.

Zero woke up in a strange bed with a loud groan. He hurt all over; his legs were in especially immense pain. He looked around. He was in a room with windows on the side looking out into space; the stars provided all the light that was in the room. He noticed a table and single chair to his right, a door straight ahead of him, and a nightstand to his left. Other than that the room was completely empty. He stared outside the window, wondering where he was and how he got there. The last thing I remember was...was getting blown up in battle... His gaze snapped to the door as it slid open with a whirr. A boy with silver hair and ruby red eyes walked in, his lithe form much like Zero's own, except this boy was a little taller. The boy's eyes burned into Zero as he walked toward him. Zero found he couldn't move, as if the boy's stare paralyzed him. He stopped at the edge of Zero's bed. "Are you hungry?"

The question confused Zero at first, so many questions roaming about his mind that he couldn't concentrate. "Who are you? Where am I?" He began to look around frantically. The other boy remained silent for a moment. "I asked if you were hungry." Zero looked up at him and in sensing the stern tone the other boy used, was afraid to say no. "H-hai." The other's eyes stilled, and he smirked ever so slightly, the expression hardly noticeable. He turned and walked out of Zero's room just as quietly as he had came.  
Zero relaxed. At least he knew he wasn't going to starve to death. His mind still lingered on where he was and who the boy was, but the pain he was in only brought his priorities to his wounded body. He experimented in moving himself, and even as he flexed a muscle ripples of pain would shoot throughout his body. He clenched his teeth and laid his head back on the pillow underneath his head. His eyes slowly slid shut as an attempt to lessen the dull throb in his temple brought on by the light that the stars gave off. Within minutes he was asleep.

He awoke at the sound of a zipper unzipping. He looked down dazedly, his eyes finally focusing on the figure that moved slowly atop him. It was the boy. He was slowly and carefully taking Zero's pants off. Zero made a small noise in the back of his throat as his legs began to object. The boy looked toward him. "It shouldn't hurt much, you've been sedated." Zero closed his eyes, the pain in his temples returning. "It hurts. My...head." The boy grunted and slid his pants all the way off of his feet, folding them and laying them on the table. He returned and pulled the sheets back over Zero, smiling faintly to him. "It will subside. Are you hungry?" Zero opened one eye slightly to see the expression on the boy's face. It was as serious as last time. "Hai." The boy walked out of the room quietly. Zero closed his eye again and listened to the sound of his own breathing. The ceiling suddenly seemed to fascinate him. He felt his eyes closing and seemed to have no power over it; sleep consumed him.

He woke up to the sound of the door opening and he opened his eyes to see Hiead leaning over his bed with a tray. Hiead sat the tray down on his nightstand and looked at him. Zero looked over at what was on the tray as Hiead sat down beside him and then he looked back at Hiead. "What's this?" Hiead's face showed nothing, even as he asked. "You said you were hungry. I brought you food. Zero looked at the bowl of soup, or at least what he thought was soup. Then his eyes drifted over to the side of the tray, where a couple of pills lay. "What are those?" Hiead followed Zero's gaze to the pills and then looked back at the boy. "Sedatives. For your pain." Zero moved to reach for them but immediately regretted it and he moaned in pain. Hiead smirked and brought the tray to Zero's stomach, setting it down gently and holding it steady while he pulled out the legs underneath it so it would hold itself up as he fed Zero. Zero watched Hiead carefully as he was fed the soup, watched Hiead's expressions, or rather lack of expressions as he slowly dipped the spoon into the soup and brought it to Zero's mouth and back again. When the bowl was finally empty and all that remained were Zero's pills and the small cup of water Hiead seemed to glare at him. "Take your medicine." Zero stared at the two little pills. "I..I-I'm not really in that much pain right-.." "Take them." Hiead's voice commanded, rising stern enough to make Zero flinch. "I don't need-.." Hiead grabbed them and held them out to Zero. "If you don't take them on your own, I'll make you take them." Zero hesitantly took the two pills into his mouth and drank his water, washing them down. He felt his whole body relaxing and he sunk back down into the pillow and watched helplessly as the image of Hiead's face slowly faded to blackness.

When Zero woke up he felt groggy and he was almost completely unaware of his situation. He felt something restraining his body from much movement but he couldn't tell what it was, his vision was blurred and he felt weak and helpless. He stared at the ceiling and took a deep breath, gasping as he heard Hiead's voice break through his relaxed state. "Zero I see you're awake now."

Zero's eyes drifted toward the voice. Even as his vision was blurred, all he could see was a mixture of cream and tan color; he knew Hiead was naked. Zero made a little noise in the back of his throat and lifted his hand to rest on the bed as he tried to push himself away from Hiead. Hiead chuckled and sat on the bed beside him, putting his hand over Zero's. "Don't worry Zero. No one is going to hurt you." Zero stilled and pondered the words over and over in his mind, wondering what kind of psycho he was laying right next to, and what kind of treatment he was going to undergo. He swallowed hard and tried to speak. "W-what are you...talking a-about?!" He tried his best to glare at Hiead but Hiead only got up and left.

The next few days were the same; Hiead would come in and feed him and make him take his medicine, and when he woke up Hiead would be naked on the bed beside of him. He would only stay a few minutes with Zero on his bed before he left him, and then the routine started over again the next day.

Zero's eyes opened to the sound of the whirr of the door opening. He didn't open them fully; he chose to listen to the sound of Hiead moving over and setting his tray of soup on the nightstand and the rustle of fabric against fabric as he sat on the bed beside of him. He sighed, turning his head to meet Hiead's stare. "Will you ever tell me where I am..? And your name?" Hiead smirked a little. "Of course Zero Enna. My name is Hiead Gner. I found you out there-." Hiead pointed to the window, meaning outside in space, "..floating around and I brought you here so you could heal from your numerous injuries. This is my home; X1799, my personal star craft." Zero noticed something in Hiead's eyes as they averted from Zero's. And then he continued to speak. "You see Zero Enna, I love what you do. I've studied it since I was a young child, and it wasn't hard for me to witness battles that occurred on my colony. They were right in front of me." A small smirk formed on his lips and he hesitated. "And then I learned about you. EX..I have that too. All the better reason.." His voice trailed off and left a spooky sense in the air that made Zero get goose bumps. He jumped when Hiead started speaking in his usual husky firm voice. "Zero Enna." Hiead's eyes moved over to Zero's and Zero's eyes widened as Hiead's narrowed with his words. "You could even say I was in love with you."

Silence. Dreadful, deadly silence. Neither boy moved or looked away from the other for several seconds. To Zero it felt like eternity. Confusion, fear, helplessness; a blur of emotions enveloped him. Hatred. His breathing quickened until it could be heard above the sound of nothingness. He hated Hiead for sitting there and smirking at him and telling him he loved him and then being calm and cool and collected while he himself was in a state of shock and fear.

Hiead broke the silence, sensing Zero's uneasiness. He reached over and brought the bowl of soup to Zero's stomach and fed it to him, glaring if Zero didn't open his mouth on will. When he was finally finished Zero sat poised, as if there was something else for him to eat. Hiead noticed this and smiled at him, patting his lap. "No pills for tonight, Zero. You seem to be healing well." Zero swallowed and lay back on his pillow, wondering about what Hiead was going to do the next morning. Hiead got up and left him and Zero fell asleep to the sound of the door whirring shut, as he did every night since he had been there.

Zero woke to the feeling of a warm, smooth thing rubbing against his chest. His eyes opened and his expression hardened as Hiead's face filled his vision. "H-hiead. What are you doing?" He looked down at the thing on his now-bare chest, finding it to be Hiead's hand, and he blushed and his eyes trailed up his hand and arm to his shoulder and neck and finally to Hiead's face, looking at him in confusion. He was smiling.  
"I'm only trying to relax you. You were tossing and turning in your sleep." "You watch me sleep?" "I had only just come in." "What am I doing without my shirt on? And why do you not have clothes on as well? You've been doing this for-." He slowed his speech to almost an abrupt halt as he finally got to look at Hiead without his vision being blurred, allowing his eyes to trace the finely sculpted thin and lightly tanned body, chiseled chest, delicate yet harsh facial features...he snapped back into reality feeling Hiead's finger twitch against his chest. "..the last few days..." Zero found his eyes wandering over Hiead's body again as Hiead began to speak. "You like it?" Zero froze. He blushed, color rushing to his cheeks and staining them a light crimson color. He immediately got angry. "No I don't like it!" He grabbed Hiead's hand and attempted to throw it off of his chest but it immediately came back and slapped him across the face. He held his cheek in the palm of his hand as he looked to Hiead, shocked. Hiead was now standing, eyes narrowed and hand in the follow-through slap position. He allowed his hand to fall at his side. "Don't ever touch me without my permission." Zero gaped and watched as Hiead walked out of the room, suddenly feeling scared and the desperate urge to escape consumed him.

He crept out of bed and was very thankful to find that he wasn't in any more pain than he could handle. He looked around for his clothes, finding none. He took a sheet from his bed and wrapped it around himself, scowling at the fact that Hiead had also taken his boxers, shoes, and socks sometime earlier. Just as he got to the door, it opened before he pressed the button to open it, and found Hiead standing right in front of him. He gulped. 'Oh...shi-' Hiead punched him in the stomach, sending him to the floor with a thud. Zero gasped and winced as he hit the floor, looking back up at Hiead. "What are you doing to me?!" Hiead smirked. "Keeping you in misery."

The next few days Hiead took extra precautions to make sure Zero didn't escape from his confines. He programmed a lock on the door of his room with a keypad, and also set up a camera in his room and fixated it on his bed.

Zero found himself still a bit immobile, although it didn't hurt so much as long as he took the pills that Hiead gave him. As if he had a choice. Hiead made sure he took them. He was so...no. He wouldn't think it. He'd only be agreeing with Hiead. But he was, and he admitted to himself that he was, in fact, miserable. He yearned to be healed and get away from Hiead's insanity. The more he hoped, the slower his healing seemed to go.

Then he realized it. What the pills were for. Sure, they were a sedative, but they also worked to slow his healing process. He thought about it for a moment. Could they be..? He had never heard of anything that did that. 'Maybe Hiead mixed two drugs together and put them in those capsules.' He groaned internally. 'That has to be dangerous...I hope he knows what he's doing as long as he's doing it...but why-' He gasped outloud. 'He wants to keep me here as long as he can! I have to find a way to stop taking those pills!' He lay there in deep thought.

The door whooshed open and Zero didn't even move to look at who it was. He knew. He flinched when he began to speak to him. "Zero, are you hungry?" He gently reminded Zero that it's lunchtime, and that he's going to feed him and give him those pills. Hiead began to get undressed, folding his clothes and laying them on the table, as usual. Zero turned his head and looked at the boy's ruby red eyes. "I'm not hungry." His stomach said otherwise, but he didn't care. He had to prolong the pills as long as he possibly could. 'Great, stuck with either dying of starvation or staying with this maniac for the rest of my life.'

Hiead only stood there and studied Zero's face, waiting for his voice to waver as he told him he wasn't hungry, but it didn't. "You haven't eaten since this morning, you need food." "No I don't." Zero was scared enough to pee in his pants at this point, but he had to do something or he wasn't ever going to get out of there. Well..by the way Hiead was now looking at him it didn't seem he was going to live much longer anyway. He gulped.

Hiead stepped toward him and sat on his bed. Suddenly out of nowhere he grabbed Zero's hand and pulled it hard toward him, placing it between his own legs and rubbing it against his cock. Zero gasped in pain at first and then realized what Hiead was doing with his hand, and he cried out and tried to pull his hand out of Hiead's grasp. "What the FUCK ARE YOU DOING? Let my HAND GO!" Hiead only moaned and held his hand tighter against him, laying back against the bed and thrusting his hips upward to Zero's hand.

Something was wrong. Something was definitely wrong. Zero caught himself watching the boy's muscles tense and relax in his thighs, the way Hiead bit his lip and closed his eyes as he used his own hand for a purpose he'd never even thought of using it for, and the way those sounds...those sexy, husky, growling and panting sounds that escaped his mouth; even as he bit his lip; and traveled to Zero's ears. It made him so aroused he couldn't see straight. 'What the hell...?'

Hiead gasped and bucked his hips when he felt Zero's fingers wrap around his cock and begin sliding up and down it. "..nnnn..Zero.." Zero winced when he tried to get up and move over to Hiead's mouth, and in finding it too painful he decided to ask..very slowly. "H-hiead...come..k-kiss me." Hiead did it without hesitation, straddling Zero's naked body and removing Zero's hand from him as he pressed his lips to Zero's hungrily. Zero felt it when Hiead opened his mouth and ran his tongue against his lips, and he opened his and took his tongue inside of his mouth, sucking on it.

Hiead left Zero's mouth and went directly to his abdomen, kissing it lightly and dropping moisture on the spot directly above Zero's cock. Zero gulped, watching Hiead nervously as he wondered to himself what the hell he was doing in this situation and why he suddenly seemed to like other boys. All thought vanished from his mind as Hiead swallowed the head of his cock and tightened his lips around it, sliding his mouth up and down it as he added a light suction. Zero's breath caught in his throat and he opened his mouth in a soundless scream as he arced his back and thrust his hips up as hard as he could toward Hiead's mouth.

'Oh my god! OH MY GOD!' "Ahh!! Ah! Ah!!" Zero's eyes filled with tears as he experienced the most extreme pleasure he'd ever known. "Yes! YES!" Zero whimpered, Hiead's mouth sliding down on him further and taking all of him into that warm, wet, silky heaven and sucking him a bit harder. Zero's voice came out cracked and shaky and breathless. "H-hieaaaad..pleeease Hie-ah!!" Hiead took Zero's balls into his hand, gently rolling them around and stroking them and causing Zero to lift his hips against him again. He could tell Zero was about to cum.

Zero gasped. He felt the pleasure building in his lower belly, and he knew what was going to happen. "Hiead I'm...I'm going to..nnnn!!!" Hiead moved his lips down on Zero's shaft fully, preparing himself. Zero's hot load shot up into his waiting mouth, and he hungrily drank it all down until Zero was completely drained. Hiead licked Zero clean, then crawled up to Zero and kissed him. Zero couldn't move if he tried, therefore he just accepted Hiead's tongue in his mouth and the taste of his seed and remaints of it sliding down his own throat. Hiead then backed off of him and got dressed casually.

Walking to the door and opening it, he stole a glance back toward Zero and smirked. He stood there to watch the rapid rise and fall of Zero's ribs for a second or two, then stepped out to leave Zero with his thoughts.

Zero's eyes opened slowly. The ceiling he saw was completely unfamiliar to him, but he soon discarded the fact when memories of his last consciousness rose from the abyss. Somehow, no matter how ironic, Zero could only say one word. "Fuck"  
He sat up and rubbed his temples with his fingertips, taking a look around. He noticed that his room didn't have a window as it had before. It now consisted of things that a normal room would; a dresser, a nightstand, a couch, a television, a bookshelf, the bed, and a trunk of some sort in the corner of the room. There were two doors, and Zero guessed that one would be a closet, and the other...the door out into the main hallway.

Why Zero chose to pass up this opportunity to escape, he didn't know. All he knew was that his body was fatigued and just did not agree with the idea of running from whoever may chase him once he was outside the room. Zero lay back down and he looked around the room a bit more, trying to identify details. On the dresser his eyes fell across a heart-shaped picture frame that caught his attention. His curiosity won him over and he struggled to get out of bed and limp over to the dresser.

The picture in the frame was of a boy. He looked to be about Zero's age, perhaps a little younger, with big blue eyes and untidy chocolate brown hair. The boy was smiling and had the peace sign up. He looked exactly like Zero. Zero studied the picture a few more seconds until realization sank in.

He gasped and grabbed the picture frame, searching it thoroughly for any clue as to who the boy might be. He wasn't at all sure that the boy wasn't in fact himself, but he doubted it. He didn't remember ever taking a picture like that before. He realized that he was in Hiead's room, and all of the pieces, Zero thought, came together.

A million thoughts raced through Zero's head in studying the photo. He tilted the frame so that the light shone on the glass just right just as Hiead came in the door. Zero was so startled that he dropped the picture frame and the glass shattered into a million tiny shards as it hit the floor. Zero gritted his teeth as the last few pieces stilled on the floor, not daring to look up at Hiead. He could tell Hiead wasn't moving. He just didn't want to see his facial expression. Movement triggered unconscious action; Hiead took a step forward and Zero automatically looked up.

Hiead ran at Zero; Zero backing up until he was against the wall. 'Trapped!!!!!!' Zero frantically searched for some way out, and found none in time. The next thing he knew he was on the floor, trying to shield himself from Hiead's fists trying to gain access to his face. And obviously some had, because his cheek and eye hurt like hell. Hiead didn't stop hitting Zero until he was curled into a ball, crying.

He walked slowly over to the picture frame that Zero dropped. He slid the glass away from it carefully with his fingers, then gently picked it up and cradled it like it was his own child. Zero heard him mumbling things, and he uncovered his head and saw that Hiead was talking to the picture. He didn't look back at Zero or clean up the glass. Instead he turned and walked out, still cradling the photo that had Zero in such confusion.

Zero sniffled and crawled over to the glass and began to pick it up, taking it piece by piece to the trashcan in the far corner. He picked up the last piece, looked at it, turned it, and threw it away. His jaw hurt so badly that he thought it might be fractured. Walking back over to his bed, he passed the television and decided to loaf on the couch and watch TV to try and get his mind off of things. 'To be perfectly honest with myself, television makes me sleepy...so the goal in mind here is a nap. Helps healing.' Zero kept up this conversation with himself inside his head for a few more seconds before he turned on the television to the most boring thing he could find; the news.

Zero gaped at the picture on the screen. "The search for the young candidate is still in progress. The police say they have found no evidence whatsoever to help them lead to the boy's whereabouts. And next our weather report, Keith..." Zero rubbed his jaw and thought to himself. 'At least they're still looking for me...mom...' He curled up on the couch and cried himself to sleep.

------------

The next morning Zero was in the same bed, and it took him a few seconds to realize that his cheek was totally numb. His hand automatically flew to it, and he felt an ice pack on it. Hiead was sitting just beside him, naked as usual, staring at the floor beside the bed. Zero gulped. 'He is probably thinking of so many different ways of raping me right now.' Zero felt a hot tear slide down his cheek. Hiead looked over to him.

"Zero. Would you like to take a tour of my ship today?" Zero nodded vigorously. If any chance to get out of the ship arose he was sure to take it. Hiead's eyes lowered to the floor in front of him again. "You..miss your mother." Zero gasped. How could he have known? "..I..miss her so much." Hiead was silent for a few minutes, then he sighed and looked to Zero, looking coldly into his eyes. "Do you know who the boy was in the photo?" Zero tilted his head, answering him timidly. "It..was..was it me?" Hiead smiled at the floor. "Yes..there are some things you should know." Zero listened intently at this, hoping Hiead would reveal his purpose. "Let's go for a walk."

They walked beside each other, Hiead explaining each part of the ship and even commenting on small things such as parts of his life that had significance. Up stairs, down hallways, down stairs, into store rooms, into the cockpit, and finally back to Hiead's bedroom, where they sat on the couch. And all through this time Hiead was still naked, and Zero could not keep his eyes off of Hiead. He was half-afraid of this brazen boy, and yet what had happened two days before had certainly been nice to say the least.

Zero glanced over at Hiead, who's eyes were fixated on the floor again. "...Hiead." He looked over to Zero, no emotion apparent on his face. Zero swallowed and tried to calm his hormones, reminding himself that this ruby-eyed beauty had beaten him up earlier. "Tell me..what's going on." Hiead got up and gathered his clothes, walking out of the room. 'I'm sorry Zero..not today.'

The bed shifted as Hiead sat on it. He turned slightly to look at Zero across from him, making sure the boy was asleep before proceeding to take his clothes off. He sighed softly, taking off a shoe and realizing that he couldn't lie to Zero forever. Each article of clothing that he removed brought to his mind a new reason that he should explain himself to Zero.

He thought, 'If I have so many reasons not to lie to him...then..why is it so hard?'

He turned over and looked at Zero once he laid down. 'He wants to leave me...he wants to go to his mother...home.'

Hiead closed his eyes. 'Tomorrow.'

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Inhale...exhale. 'One more minute and I'll get up...' Inhale...exhale. 'Warm...'

"Zero."

Hiead shook him gently and admired the smaller youth as one of his large blue eyes opened halfway. Zero looked up at him and yawned.

"Hm..two more minutes, please Hiead..?"

Hiead rolled his eyes and shook him again. "Get up. I'm going to tell you everything over breakfast."

Zero sighed, still thinking that it wasn't worth getting out of bed for. Hiead slowly pulled the sheets off of him, Zero then slowly and dejectedly walking into the bathroom and shutting the door behind him.

- - - - - - - - - -

Hiead looked down at the eggs that he was cooking, watching them change color as the heat from the range spread through them and cooked them. He thought about what he should say, and how he should explain his undying love for someone he had barely even met...

He moved the egg around the skillet with a fork, silently wondering to himself. He had been so cold and heartless, showing emotion to no one, and especially not to anyone younger or weaker than himself. How could he now...?

- - - - - - - - - -

Zero turned the knob slowly, the glistening water forming droplets on his smooth skin as it fell like rain from the showerhead. He leaned against the wall of the shower, the cooling contact against his back reassuring to him in some sense. Hiead was going to tell him today...soon. What would he say? Would he let him go? To go home, to his mother?

'Or is that what I really want...?'

Zero allowed his mind to linger on the things that had happened between himself and Hiead. He thought of Hiead as a psychopath, desperate for something...something he couldn't quite place. Perhaps he would find out at breakfast.

He sighed heavily and commensed his cleaning. He stood pondering everything; the picture, the sex incident, and Hiead's possessiveness. He stood for a few more seconds then turned the shower off, shaking the water out of his hair as he stepped out of the shower.

"..here goes."

- - - - - - - - - -

Breakfast started horribly. The two of them sat at the table in Hiead's dining room and stared at the food on their plates as they poked at it with their forks. Zero didn't know what to say, and Hiead didn't know how to say what he wanted to say. So there was thick, heavy silence.

Zero sighed, putting his fork down and looking across the table at Hiead. 'What's the worst he can do?' "Tell me."

More silence. But at least now Hiead was looking at him and not playing with his food.

"Tell me, you promised."

"...I..." Hiead looked down at his plate again.

There were a few more moments of silence before Hiead began to speak again.

"...well you see..."

Zero listened attentively.

"When I was a small child, around the age of five, I remember my family moved to the colony closest to a GOA training facility. I was always close to battles with Victim that Goddess had, so I got to witness them up front. I was so happy there as I remember, because I had lots of children my age to play with and my father was always home.  
A few months later my uncle passed away and left mother this starcruiser. A few days afterward the battlefront moved into our colony and massacred my home, killing my mother and father, and I escaped on this ship."

"I studied about GOA ever since I was a child. I was always exposed to the battlefield and I soon gained interest in battle tactics and warfare. I was in and out of libraries constantly. That is where I learned about GOA."

There was a short pause.

"Once my father and mother died I became extra interested and I applied. I worked endlessly at meeting the requirements because I was afraid that I would be rejected. When I went for my tests my blood scanned EX positive, and then I was sent to GOA as a candidate.  
It was there that I learned of you, Zero Enna. I saw you running in the hallway, beauty and magnificent splendor shining down on you like a sunbeam. Believe in love at first sight?"

Hiead chuckled. Another pause, then continuation.

"I soon found out who you were, of course, because you yourself were quite the legend at GOA. I learned something new and amazing of you every day and fell deeper and deeper in love. And then I was cut. I strayed too far from my training, my ultimate goal of becoming Goddess."

Zero stared at Hiead as he took a drink of juice, in a state of awe or shock, whether it be one or both. He had mentioned the death of his own family with such indifference that it made Zero afraid. How could he not care about his mother and father? Hiead then continued.

"I wandered from planed to planet until I had done enough odd jobs to buy a database...and I found out where you were. The GOA field training was that day-"

"The day you found me."

Hiead nodded.

"That's correct. I had heard the broadcast of your disappearance, and I picked you up. I was determined to get to you before anyone else did..."

His voice faded and Zero just stared. His eyes widened as he remembered.

FLASHBACK

"Okay guys! Ready or not, here I come!"

Zero heard a giggle and ran toward it as fast as he could. Rounding the corner of the card shop, he saw Gary running down the alley. He laughed and ran after him. "I see you Gary!"

Zero passed by some trash cans and a couple cardboard boxes, and stopped as he heard them fall over behind him. He turned quickly and saw Hiead sprawled on the ground and watched in amusement as he shrieked and began running away from him. "Ehehehehe! Hiead!"

Zero ran after him and tagged him on the back gently, Hiead turning around with a small pout on his cute face. "Aww, no fair! I wouldn't have gotten tagged if I didn't loose my stupid balance!"

Zero grinned. "Okay, now you're tagger!"

"No I don't wanna play this game anymore! Zeroooo, let's go to the meadow!"

"But what about Gar-eep!"

Hiead grabbed his hand and ran with him toward the meadow.

Zero plopped down in the grass and looked up at the stars, Hiead falling beside him and doing likewise. "Betcha don't know what THAT is Zero." Zero looked at what Hiead was pointing at. "Do too, it's the GOA thing." Hiead smiled. "Right-o. I'm gonna go there someday!" Zero looked over at him and smiled.

All the sudden there was an earth-shattering crash, it felt like an earthquake. Both the boys scrambled to their feet and began screaming. "What's going ON?!?!" "I-I don't KNOW!! AHH lookout!!!!!!!"

The boys hit the ground before pieces of flying debris were hurled their way. "Zero?!"

Hiead looked up and saw Zero being carried away quickly under his father's arm. He was reaching for him. He reached back. "ZERO!!!"

"HIEAD!!!!!!!!"

Hiead ran back to the town, where everything was in flames. People were running everywhere. His automatic response was to run straight home. He stood in front of his home, watching the smoke rise from it. Flames had engulfed it already.

"Hiead! Over here!"

He turned, and there was his father running toward him. He picked him up and ran toward the hangar. He threw Hiead aboard the starcruiser, pushing 'Autopilot', and then he ran back toward the village. "DADDY!!! DADDY NOOO!!!!!!!!!" Hiead banged on the glass of the cockpit as the ship began to take off. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!"

Suddenly there was a huge explosion. It hurled the starcruiser out into space, leaving Hiead to look at what used to be a colony, crying and broken on the floor. "...no.."

END FLASHBACK

Zero gasped. "Hiead..I..I.." His heart was pounding rapidly in his chest. Thoughts of his past, thoughts of that colony had never returned to him like that. He got up from the table and ran, tears streaming from his eyes. 'I knew him! He was...my best friend!!!!'

Confused, Hiead got up and ran after Zero, getting cut off at Zero's closed door. He sighed, thinking it was probably something he said if not the food.

He knocked cautiously. "Zero?"

Finally in deciding there wasn't going to be an answer, Hiead pushed the button to open the door and proceeded inside.

It didn't take him long to find Zero, who was curled up at the head of the bed. He had in his hands the picture he had broken.

Hiead took a timid step forward.

"You remember now, don't you?"

Zero kept looking at the photo, even as Hiead approached and sat on the bed next to him.

"You gave me that the day before the attack. I used to spend a lot of time in my room on this ship so I wanted to decorate it with things."

Hiead pointed to the trunk in the corner.

"It's filled with all kinds of memoires, but I kept this photo out because it was my favorite."

Zero frowned and sat the picture down, looking to Hiead. His eyes were brimmed with tears.

"When were you going to say something?!"

Hiead's eyes widened then narrowed as he prepared a defense.

"I thought you didn't remember!"

"You should have told me!"

"You wouldn't have believed me!"

"You have all the evidence you need!"

"You would have left me!"

And there it was.

Zero stared. Hiead wanted to die.

'He hates me..' Hiead thought, backing off of the bed. 'He hates me...what was I thinking?! He doesn't like me!!!'

Hiead rushed out of the room and to the cockpit of the ship, not looking back, not wanting to see the expression on Zero's face. He shook his head, slowly wiping the tears from his eyes.

'I'm taking him back, right now! Why was I so stupid? How could I believe that after all this time...we would still be together!?'

- - - - -

'Hiead..why did you go?'

Zero scrambled after Hiead as quickly as he could, finally reaching him in the cockpit. Hiead turned abruptly to face him.

"What are you doing?!"

"I'm taking you back to GOA! This was all a mistake!"

"What if I don't want to go back?!"

"Too bad!!"

"I refuse to go back to GOA!"

"I will not let you throw your dream away like I did, Zero Enna!!!"

"THIS IS MY DREAM!!!"

"What are you TALKING about?!"

"You know how as little kids we always dreamed of becoming Goddess? I joined GOA because I knew you were out there somewhere, and the only place I knew to look for you was in GOA! As time passed I concentrated more and more on my training, giving up on finding you more each day. Eventually..I..I forgot about you completely, but now I remember what my dream was. I wanted to find you."

It was Hiead's turn to stare.

"Zero."

"...what is it?"

"You're not lying to me."

"No."

Hiead stood and walked over to Zero, wrapping his arms around him and holding him tight, smiling when he felt Zero's arms slide around his waist.

"I've missed you Zero."

"I've missed you, too."

- - - - -

The next morning Zero awoke to Hiead laying next to him, still asleep. He smiled, gently pulling the covers off of him and being extra careful not to wake Hiead as he got out of bed and padded toward the bathroom.

He looked in the medicine cabinet for some toothpaste so he could rid himself of morning halitosis, and instead found a bottle of pills labeled "Trielestia". They looked like the pills that Hiead had been giving him when he was still hurt. He stuck the pills in his pocket and continued his search for the toothpaste.

When he finally found it it was in a small tube of about 2 ounces. When he opened the cap and tried to squeeze some onto his toothbrush, only a little came out. He pouted. At least Hiead had a whole bottle of mouthwash.

He returned to bed after using half the bottle of mouthwash to find a very awake and grinning Hiead.

He bounded over and kneeled on the bed in front of Hiead.

"What's up?"

Hiead's face got serious.

"I was the first to say it, but in my case I know it's true. Do you love me, Zero Enna?"

Zero sat back on his heels and put his hands in front of his knees to balance himself as he leaned forward and kissed Hiead's lips softly.

The spikey-haired youth smiled after break of contact. "Of course I love you." He pulled Hiead into a hug and held him there, giving a happy sigh. He felt Hiead starting to rub his back gently.

"Hiead..?"

"Yes?"

"What now?"

Hiead smiled to himself and began to stroke Zero's fine hair.

"What do you want?"

"I...I want..."

Hiead grinned. 'He's only human.'

Hiead began kissing Zero's neck instinctively, his hands sliding down to Zero's ass and pulling upward firmly, putting Zero on Hiead's lap. He grinned, purring into Zero's ear, "..you want?"

Zero's mouth opened a bit as his eyes slowly slid shut, his grip on Hiead becoming slack with the kisses to his neck. His words were spoken almost as a breath.

"I want..."

"Mmm?"

Hiead nipped a path to Zero's ear, around his jaw to his mouth, his hands sliding under Zero to flip them over as he kissed Zero hungrily.

The next hour passed through Zero's mind as a blur. Moments of intense passion as they made love to each other for the first time. Hiead was ever-so-gentle with Zero, making the whole experience seem surreal to the very end.

Afterward Hiead stayed close next to Zero, stroking his rapidly rising and falling chest unconsciously and placing a kiss to Zero's sweat-soaked forehead.

Zero felt his eyes closing with the tender caresses of Hiead's fingers on his body, Hiead's slow and steady breathing lulling him into a deep sleep.

Hiead smiled. 'Finally..I'm happy again.'

He placed one more quick kiss to Zero's forehead and relaxed beside the smaller boy, pulling the sheets over them both in preparation to sleep the day away.

"Goodnight, my love."


End file.
